Director, Strategic Talent Programs

Proofpoint•Sunnyvale, CA

5d•$152,900 - $293,810

About The Position

About Us: Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work: At Proofpoint you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities Accountable for results and best in class outcomes Visionary in future focused problem-solving Exceptional in execution and impact Role Overview The Director of Strategic Talent Programs plays a critical role in shaping and executing the company’s enterprise talent strategy. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and change, with a dual focus: owning high-impact strategic talent programs, and serving as a Chief of Staff to the Talent function to ensure alignment, momentum, and results and Talent optimization. This is a highly collaborative role for a proven talent practitioner who can translate strategy into scalable programs, manage complexity, and drive adoption across senior leaders.

Requirements

Proven experience leading strategic talent programs in a complex or scaled organization.
Strong background in succession planning, talent reviews, leadership development, and career frameworks.
Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic integrator and program owner, not just a designer.
Experience partnering with senior leaders and influencing without direct authority.
Practical experience or strong interest in AI-enabled talent solutions and internal mobility.
Strong change management and communication skills.
Highly organized, execution-focused, and comfortable managing multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, execution, and evolution of enterprise talent programs, including: Succession planning for critical roles and top 60+ leaders Leadership and enterprise competencies Career architecture and internal career pathways Talent reviews and talent risk assessment
Ensure talent programs are practical, integrated, and clearly connected to business priorities.
Partner closely with senior leaders and HRBPs to drive consistent application and meaningful outcomes.
Act as a strategic partner on internal mobility initiatives, including the use of AI-enabled tools to support career matching, talent visibility, and workforce movement.
Collaborate with HR Technology, People Analytics, and Talent teams to ensure solutions are adopted, effective, and aligned with talent strategy.
Promote AI fluency within the Talent function to improve decision-making and scalability.
Own enterprise talent review processes, ensuring they provide actionable insights rather than compliance-driven outputs.
Identify talent risks and capability gaps; partner with leaders on mitigation strategies.
Ensure outcomes from talent reviews directly inform succession plans, development priorities, and workforce decisions.
Lead change management efforts for new or evolving talent programs.
Develop clear messaging, leader enablement, and rollout plans to drive understanding and adoption.
Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders navigating talent-related change.
Own and maintain the strategic roadmap for the Talent function, ensuring priorities are clear, sequenced, and aligned.
Partner with Talent and L&D leaders to ensure the right programs, capabilities, and people are in place to deliver against strategy.
Coordinate across Talent, L&D, HRBPs, and other stakeholders to drive execution and reduce friction.
Support operating cadence, planning, and follow-through for the Talent leadership team.